The Repertory – Our Tool? – Part II

The other day we had a case of a 55 years old lady suffering from severe rheumatoid arthritis. After a thorough case receiving these were her characteristic symptoms.

Dreams, excrements

Sour, acids aggravate

Side, left.

Repertorising with leading software the analysis revealed the indicated remedy, Aloe Socortina. As Dr. Hahnemann has always emphasized, on referring to the fountain head, we found that the actual dream under Aloe Socortina stated as follows – Dreams of soiling himself (Hering Guiding Symptoms)

Now, this was not the case with our patient. The symptom was losing its individuality by the manner in which it was entered into the repertory and that was the erroneous reason why we had Aloe as “the indicated remedy”. Certainly we did not prescribe Aloe; but how many of us take the pain or trouble to go to the source and check it out? This is one of the greatest pitfalls of following the repertory blindly, which leads to disaster. The number of mistakes under every remedy is enormous. E.g. let us have a look at Magnesia Carbonica.

MAGNESIA CARBONICA (Mag-c.)

Single symptoms

1. Bathing in boiling water, child is.

2. Beggars.4

3. Body, parts, back, burnt.11

4. Cheeks, burnt.11

5. Hair falling out.

6. Clothes, did not wish to make up.11

7. Contraband.11

8. Disease, hair falling out.

9. Graves, thrown into a grave, being.11

10. Hair dressing, in company, obliged to.

11. Falling out.

12. Intellectual, midnight after.11

13. Lost, home, at.4,16

14. Passion, outburst of.3,4

15. Smuggled goods.11

16. Soaked with rain, being.

17. Thrown, grave into.11

18. Unsuccessful efforts, dress to, ball, for a.

19. Unsuccessful efforts, find way in his own house.

20. Unsuccessful efforts, talk to.

COMMON SYMPTOMS

21. Amorous.3

22. Anger.

23. Anxious.

24. Menses during.

25. Arrest.

26. Astray, going.4

27. Balls.11

28. Business, day, of the.

29. Children.

30. Confused.

31. Dancing.

32. Danger.

33. Water from.

34. Dead, of the.

35. Relatives.

36. Difficulties.

37. Disease.

38. Epilepsy.1

39. Embarrassment.

40. Events, day, of the previous.

41. Exhausting.

42. Fights.

43. Robbers, with.

44. Fire.

45. Fishes.3

46. Fishing.11

47. Flood.

48. Flowers.

49. Frightful.

50. Fruits.3,11

51. Funerals.

52. Graves

53. Historic.

54. Journeys.

55. Joyous.3,4,11

56. Lost in a forest.

57. Lottery.11

58. Many.

59. Masks.4, 11

60. Misfortune.

61. Money.

62. Mutilation.

63. Nightmares.3,6

64. Pleasant.

65. Quarrels.

66. Relatives, dead.

67. Remembered.11

68. Robbers.

69. Fighting with robbers.

70. Rousing the patient.1

71. Sad

72. Storms.

73. Thirsty, being.

74. Unimportant.3,11

75. Unremembered.

76. Unsuccessful efforts.

77. Vexatious.

78. Vivid.

79. Morning.11

80. Water.

81. Wedding.

82. Weeping.

Now patiently read on and judge for yourself the authenticity of your repertory, your tool!

MAGNESIA CARBONICA (Mag-c.)

Single symptoms

1. Bathing in boiling water, child is.

This symptom no. 1 is stated in Allen’s Encyclopedia as:

Anxious dream, that a child was bathing in boiling water.

2. Beggars.4

This symptom no. 2 is stated in Allen’s Encyclopedia as:

Nightly starting up and screaming in a dream, in which he quarreled with a beggar.

3. Body, parts, back, burnt.11

This symptom no.3 is stated in Allen’s Encyclopedia as:

Dream that she burnt her back by some one throwing hot roast pigeons at her.

4. Cheeks, burnt.11

This symptom no. 4 is stated in Allen’s Encyclopedia as:

Frightful dream, that she burnt her cheek by the light.

5. Hair falling out.

This symptom no.5 is stated in Allen’s Encyclopedia as:

Dream of her hair falling out, which made her very sad.

6. Clothes, did not wish to make up.11

This symptom no. 6 is stated in Allen’s Encyclopedia as:

Dream of flowers, clothes, and other things; she had to make up the clothes,

but had no inclination to do it, and besides did not understand how; she also saw many foreign plants, but during this she became soaked with rain.

7. Contraband.11

This symptom no. 7 is stated in Allen’s Encyclopedia as:

Dream that she had something contraband, and wanted to snatch it away from those looking at it, and lock it up.

8. Disease, hair falling out.

This symptom no. 8 is stated in Allen’s Encyclopedia as:

Dream of her hair falling out, which made her very sad.

9. Graves, thrown into a grave, being.11

This symptom no.9 is stated in Allen’s Encyclopedia as:

Dream of a grave in a cemetery, into which, after voluntary preparation, she was to be thrown.

10. Hair dressing, in company, obliged to.

This symptom no. 10 is stated in Allen’s Encyclopedia as:

Dream of a funeral; she was obliged to dress the hair of the company; also of balls and marriages.

11. Falling out.

This symptom no. 11 is stated in Allen’s Encyclopedia as:

Dream of her hair falling out, which made her very sad.

12. Intellectual, midnight after.11

This symptom no. 12 is not stated in Allen’s Encyclopedia the source indicated in rubric.

13. Lost, home, at.4,16

This symptom no. 13 is stated in Chronic Diseases as:

Anxious dream, as if he was unable to find his way in his own house.

14. Passion, outburst of.3,4

15. Smuggled goods.11

This symptom no. 15 is stated in Allen’s Encyclopedia as:

Dream that she had something contraband, and wanted to snatch it away from those looking at it, and lock it up.

16. Soaked with rain, being.

This symptom no. 16 is stated in Allen’s Encyclopedia as:

Dream of flowers, clothes, and other things; she had to make up the clothes,

but had no inclination to do it, and besides did not understand how; she also

saw many foreign plants, but during this she became soaked with rain.

17. Thrown, grave into.11

This symptom no.17 is stated in Allen’s Encyclopedia as:

Dream of a grave in a cemetery, into which, after voluntary preparation, she was to be thrown.

18. Unsuccessful efforts, dress to, ball, for a.

19. Unsuccessful efforts, find way in his own house.

This symptom no. 19 is stated in Chronic Diseases as:

Anxious dream, as if he was unable to find his way in his own house.

20. Unsuccessful efforts, talk to.

This symptom no. 20 is stated in Chronic Diseases as:

She wished to talk in a dream, without being able to, which tormented her.

COMMON SYMPTOMS

21. Amorous.3

This symptom no. 21 is stated in Boger-Boenninghausen’s Repertory as:

Agreeable Pleasant, Amorous.

22. Anger.

This symptom no. 22 is not stated in text.

23. Anxious.

24. Menses during.

This symptom no. 24 is not stated in text.

25. Arrest.

This symptom no. 25 is stated in Allen’s Encyclopedia as:

Anxious dream of a fire, being arrested, etc.

26. Astray, going.4

This symptom no. 26 is not stated in text.

27. Balls.11

(Balls – The word itself is wrong as it is not Balls but Ball which means a large, usually lavish party featuring social dancing and often given for some particular purpose, as to introduce debutantes, benefit a charitable organisation etc.)

This symptom no. 27 is stated in Allen’s Encyclopedia as:

a) Dream that she was at a ball where they did not dance enough; also at first she could not get ready with her dress.

b) Dream of a funeral; she was obliged to dress the hair of the company; also of ball and marriages.

28. Business, day, of the.

This symptom no. 28 is not stated in Allen’s Encyclopedia as:

29. Children.

This symptom 29 is not stated in the text.

30. Confused.

31. Dancing.

This symptom 31 is stated in Allen’s Encyclopedia as:

Dream of happiness and dancing, in which she enjoyed herself very much.

32. Danger.

33. Water from.

34. Dead, of the.

35. Relatives.

36. Difficulties.

This symptom no. 36 is stated in Allen’s Encyclopedia as:

a. Dream that she was at a ball where they did not dance enough; also at first she could not get ready

with her dress.

b. Anxious dream, as if he was unable to find his way in his own house.

This symptom no.36 is stated in Chronic Diseases as:

She wished to talk in a dream, without being able to, which tormented her.

37. Disease.

38. Epilepsy.1

These symptoms no. 37 & 38 are stated in Chronic Diseases as:

Dream that he has an epileptic fit.

39. Embarrassment.

40. Events, day, of the previous.

41. Exhausting.

These symptoms no. 39, 40 and 41 are not stated in the text.

42. Fights.

This symptom no. 42 is stated in Allen’s Encyclopedia as:

Dream of fights, in which she herself participated.

This symptom no. 42 is stated in Chronic Diseases as:

Dream of fighting, quarreling and vexation.

43. Robbers, with.

This symptom no. 43 is stated in chronic diseases as:

Anxious dreams of fights with robbers.

44. Fire.

This symptom no. 44 is stated in chronic diseases as:

Anxious dreams of fire and of burning up.

This symptom no. 44 is stated in Allen’s Encyclopedia as:

a. Dream of a fire, at which she was present.

b. Anxious dream of fire, being arrested etc.

c. Anxious dream of a bright fire, at which she shrieked out violently and cried “fire.”

45. Fishes.3

46. Fishing.11

This symptom no. 46 is stated in Allen’s Encyclopedia as: as

Dream that she went fishing and enjoyed herself.

47. Flood.

This symptom no. 47 is stated in Allen’s Encyclopedia as:

Dream of a flood, which flowed across the market-place, from which she woke in fright.

48. Flowers.

This symptom no. 48 is stated in Allen’s Encyclopedia as:

Dream of flowers, clothes, and other things; she had to make up the clothes,

but had no inclination to do it, and besides did not understand how; she also

saw many foreign plants, but during this she became soaked with rain.

49. Frightful.

This symptom no. 49 is stated in Allen’s Encyclopedia as:

a. Frightful, but unremembered dream.

b. If he lies upon the back or right side at night, he starts up, and raves and screams out of a

frightful dream.

c. Frightful dream, that she burnt her cheek by the light.

50. Fruits.3,11

This symptom no. 50 is stated in Allen’s Encyclopedia as:

Dream of gathering fruit in a garden.

51. Funerals.

This symptom no. 51 is stated in Allen’s Encyclopedia as:

Dream of a funeral; she was obliged to dress the hair of the company; also of balls and marriages.

52. Graves

This symptom no. 52 is stated in Allen’s Encyclopedia as:

Dream of a grave in a cemetery, into which, after voluntary preparation, she was to be thrown.

53. Historic.

54. Journeys.

This symptom no. 54 is stated in Allen’s Encyclopedia as:

Dream that she made a long journey, and at last could go no farther, at which she became very anxious, at 3 A.M.

55. Joyous.3,4,11

56. Lost in a forest.

This symptom no. 56 is not stated in the text.

57.Lottery.11

This symptom no. 57 is stated in Allen’s Encyclopedia as:

Dream that she invested money in a lottery.

58. Many.

59.Masks.4, 11

This symptom no. 59 is stated in Allen’s Encyclopedia as:

Dreams of masks in fools’ clothes, which they soiled.

60. Misfortune.

This symptom no. 60 is stated in Allen’s Encyclopedia as:

Anxious dreams of the misfortunes of relatives.

61. Money.

This symptom no. 61 is stated in Allen’s Encyclopedia as:

a. A pleasant dream of receiving money.

b. Dream that she invested money in a lottery.

This symptom no. 61 is stated in Chronic Diseases as:

Dreams of money, merriment, sportfulness and historical events.

62. Mutilation.

This symptom no. 62 is not stated in the text.

63. Nightmares.3,6

This symptom no. 63 is not stated in Boger Boenninghausen’s repertory the source indicated

in the rubric.

64. Pleasant.

This symptom no. 64 is stated in Allen’s Encyclopedia as:

A pleasant dream of receiving money.

65. Quarrels.

This symptom no. 65 is stated in Allen’s Encyclopedia as:

Nightly starting up and screaming in a dream, in which he quarreled with a beggar.

This symptom no. 65 is stated in Chronic Diseases as:

Dream of fighting, quarreling and vexation.

66. Relatives, dead.

67. Remembered.11

68. Robbers.

69. Fighting with robbers.

These symptoms no. 68 and 69 are stated in Chronic Diseases as:

Anxious dreams of fights with robbers.

70. Rousing the patient.1

This symptom no. 70 is not a dream symptom.

71.Sad.

This symptom no. 71 is stated in Chronic Diseases as:

Anxious, sad dreams of deceased relatives, accidents etc.

72. Storms.

This symptom no. 72 is not stated in the text.

73. Thirsty, being.

This symptom no. 73 is stated in Allen’s Encyclopedia as:

Shedreamed that she was excessively thirsty; awoke, and was really thirsty.

74. Unimportant.3,11

75. Unremembered.

This symptom no. 75 is stated in Chronic Diseases as:

Loud screaming in sleep, from a lively unremembered dream.

This symptom no. 75 is stated in Allen’s Encyclopedia as:

a. Frightful, but unremembered dream.

b. Sad but unremembered dream.

76. Unsuccessful efforts.

This symptom no. 76 is stated in Allen’s Encyclopedia as:

a. Dream that she was at a ball where they did not dance enough; also at first she could not get ready with her dress.

b. Anxious dream, as if he was unable to find his way in his own house.

This symptom no.76 is stated in Chronic Diseases as:

She wished to talk in a dream, without being able to, which tormented her.

77. Vexatious.

78. Vivid.

79. Morning.11

These symptoms no. 78 & 79 are stated in Allen’s Encyclopedia as:

A vivid, unremembered dream during the morning sleep, in which she cried aloud.

80. Water.

This symptom no. 80 is stated in Chronic Diseases and in Allen’s Encyclopedia as:

Dreams of danger from water.

81. Wedding.

This symptom no. 81 is stated in Allen’s Encyclopedia as:

a. Dream of a funeral; she was obliged to dress the hair of the company; also of balls and marriages.

b. After midnight she dreamed that she was to marry one she did not like, which she violently resisted; she cried aloud, wept, and sobbed, without waking.

82. Weeping.

This symptom no. 82 is stated in Allen’s Encyclopedia as:

Dream that she was weeping about the death of a near relative.

ADDITIONS:

83. Dream of dangerous carrying of glasses.

This is an addition made from Allen’s Encyclopedia.

84. Dream of very small horses, that she exerted herself to reflect upon, after midnight.

This is an addition made from Allen’s Encyclopedia.

85.Dream that she had become a child three years old, which rejoiced her very much.

This is an addition made from Allen’s Encyclopedia.

86. Dream that she saw her dead grandmother.

This is an addition made from Allen’s Encyclopedia.

87. About midnight, a dream that her mother had died, at which she woke, and believed that she was still weeping.

This is an addition made from Allen’s Encyclopedia.

88. Indifferent, historical dream.

This is an addition made from Allen’s Encyclopedia.

89. Dream that she was sadly disturbed in company, where especially her grandmother was taken with spasms, and at last had apoplexy.

This is an addition made from Allen’s Encyclopedia.

90. Dream of thieves who broke into the house and tried to kill her.

This is an addition made from Allen’s Encyclopedia.

If you have read through you can very well skip this but in case you are taken over by love of ease and if you have just browsed through we will like you to read these vital statistics of Magnesium Carb rubrics under Dream Chapter of Synthetic Repertory and the following …

Number of rubrics under Magnesium Carb – 82

Number of incorrect rubrics – 52

Number of non-existent rubrics – 13

So out of 82 dreams, 65 dreams are wrongly entered into the repertory !!

Number of authentic and correct additions by us from text – 8

Well, if after reading all this, the urge to refer to the text (fountain heads as Dr. Hahnemann called them) is not excited in you, we wish to quote him with this wake up call …

“The second greatest mistake is made in the treatment of chronic diseases by the unhomoeopathic selection of the medicines; this is chiefly the case with incipient homoeopaths (many, I am sorry to say, remain all their life such beginners) through inexactness, negligence and love of ease.” – Dr. Samuel Hahnemann

With the great conscientiousness which should be shown in the restoration of a human life endangered by sickness, more than in anything else, the Homoeopath, if he would act in a manner worthy of his calling, should investigate first the whole state of the patient, the internal cause as far a it is remembered, and the cause of the continuance of the ailment, his mode of life, his quality as to mind, soul and body, together with all his symptoms (see directions in Organon), and then he should carefully find out in the work on Chronic Diseases as well as in the work on Materia Medica Pura a remedy covering in similarly, as far as possible, all the moments, or at least the most striking and peculiar ones, with its own peculiar symptoms; and for this purpose he should not be satisfied with any of the existing repertories – a carelessness only too frequent; for the books are only intended to give light hints as to one or another remedy that might be selected, but they can never dispense him from making the research at the first fountainheads. He who does not take the trouble of treading this path in all critical and complicated diseases, and, indeed, with all patience and intelligence, but contents himself with the vague hints of the repertories in the choice of a remedy, and who thus quickly dispatches one patient after the other, does not deserve the honorable title of a genuine Homoeopath, but is rather to be called a bungler, who on that account has continually to change his remedies until the patient loses patience; and as his ailments have of course only been aggravated he must have this aggravator of diseases, whereby the art itself suffers discredit instead of the unworthy disciple of art. – Chronic Diseases

Reference list:

The Chronic Diseases – Their peculiar nature and their homoeopathic cure under second chief error in the cure of chronic diseases… (If the readers find this difficult to understand there is a little easier translation in The lesser Writings of Boenninghausen under II. Warning, namely, the selection of the Right Remedy.)

Dr. Falguni Khariwala has been a consulting Classical Homoeopath in practice for the last 16 years. Along with her brother Dr. Prasad Shetye, she has been invited abroad to give Seminars and under their trust ‘Nyanga’ they regularly conduct Seminars in Bombay. She was instrumental in sowing the seed of the Training Program in Classical Homoeopathy. Together with her brother, she edits ’Homoeopathy First’ the newsletter of Classical Homoeopathic Research Centre. They have written a series of seven articles that were published in Homoeopathic Links-International Journal for Classical Homoeopathy. She is very experienced also in the treatment of infants and children. Dr. Khariwala is a Classical Hahnemannian in her thought, word and deed as far as homoeopathy and life is concerned.